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#91 isn't even out yet. Really fast paperback turnaround. And it's not just wishful thinking, I don't believe--I've got a list as long as my arm as to actual reasons why I think we saw a little Holmes/Moriarity homage and the good guy survived.

I've seen reviews, so I think it may have come out early.

Holmes didn't feel guilty about letting Moriarty turn him too far down the criminal path though. And it's not like Holmes was meant to survive that scene, he was written to definitively die, it was only a decade-later retcon at the demands of the fans that spurred Conan Doyle to revive the character for good.

I've heard from a few sources that O'Neil had some input before he left for DC, but the basic premise of Cybertron, Optimus Prime, Prowl, possibly Megatron, and the names Ultra Magnus and Fortress Maximus are the only things that are consistently attributed to him.

I have read that Denny O'Neil came up with Optimus Prime, but Bob Budiansky came up with Megatron, and Shooter came up with the premise of Cybertron. Budiansky came up with "Fortress Maximus" and "Ultra Magnus" and those names based on O'Neil's original "Optimus Prime" latinate naming concept, Hasbro wanting literal names for most toys but grand names for major ones.

Regardless of what Hasbro says, unless they have evidence, I'd lean toward Marvel's story, simply because it sounds like a case of getting lightning to strike twice (the original thirteen Joes were a rejected proposal by Larry Hama for Fury Force--and there's concrete evidence for this--who would've been fighting Hydra--you think it's coinkydink that Cobra and Hydra are so similar and both named after serpents?). It makes sense that they'd want to replicate the success, given that Joe was enormous and, at that time, they had no way to know TF would be even bigger.

I agree, plus it's not like Hasbro would even know that well because they put so many different steps in place between them and the content producers at Marvel proper.

Originally Posted by Adam

What's not stable on your Jazz? I bought United Jazz at Botcon last year, which solved the paint issues for me. It's one of my favorite molds. I think the shoulders could have been better and I wish the torso locked but I always thought he was a solid offering overall.

What ISN'T unstable on Jazz? It seems like everything's unstable: the shoulders, the torso, the lower legs in bot mode, and the hood center panel and fenders in alt mode. Maybe the United one is better, but a lot of that is engineering.

Holmes didn't feel guilty about letting Moriarty turn him too far down the criminal path though. And it's not like Holmes was meant to survive that scene, he was written to definitively die, it was only a decade-later retcon at the demands of the fans that spurred Conan Doyle to revive the character for good.

True, but Furman loves his homages, and I believe he's a Holmes fan, so it wouldn't necessarily be required for the big lug to not survive, only to turn up again. Also, the underlying theme of the entire Grimlock arc (and one of the major themes of the book so far) has been redemption. We think Grimlock is seeking redemption for turning on the Autobots, but he had a plan that he never doubted for a second. He's seeking redemption for afflicting his fellow Autobots--and particularly Slag--with the side effects of Nucleon. (With Scorponok gone, Perceptor or someone else can pick up where he left off, making perfect replacement bodies for Transformers.) But the telling bit for me is Grimlock saying he's too far gone to be saved right before he falls--he's going to find himself proven wrong.

(And there's also the detail that Hot Rod is trying to find and awaken Primus for answers, and, if not for a ricochet off Grimlock's chest many issues back, Primus would still be asleep and Unicron would never have been an issue. Furman also loves parallels, so I doubt it's coincidence that Grimlock just fell into the core of the planet.)

What ISN'T unstable on Jazz? It seems like everything's unstable: the shoulders, the torso, the lower legs in bot mode, and the hood center panel and fenders in alt mode. Maybe the United one is better, but a lot of that is engineering.

I have three Hasbro versions of that mold (RTS Jazz, G2 Jazz, and Wheelie) and they are all incredibly stable and solid in both modes. I don't know what you guys are doing to your transformers, but...

What ISN'T unstable on Jazz? It seems like everything's unstable: the shoulders, the torso, the lower legs in bot mode, and the hood center panel and fenders in alt mode. Maybe the United one is better, but a lot of that is engineering.

You lost me after "shoulder." None of the seven versions of that mold that I own are unstable in the other areas you listed.

The jet and tank forms do not close up as good as they could - especially considering the larger size of toy they had to work with this time.

The G1 version from 1985 remains the very best Hasbro has done for Blitzwing in my opinon. He was always one of my favorite Transformers and wished they'd created an even better more-often-utilized character for him in the G1 cartoon show.

In any event, I don't regret buying him, but this could have been a better experience.

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If you don't have a preference for anything, in the latest (and I think the final) round of voting for the Fan's Choice 30th Anniversary figure, my daughter would really love to see a female Autobot named Charon, who is a telepath from the mean streets of Kaon. And I think she made some pretty wicked choices there.

BTW, unless I'm totally mistaken, there has never been a transforming toy of any female character from the G1 continuity family (not counting Beast Wars, which is sorta the same and sorta not). Not even Arcee. But every other line has had at least one.

1. Ultra Magnus that looks like a realisitically painted version of G1.5 Magnus and transforms as one piece like the Titanium. Use that mold and make him huge! (Well LC but obviously by blowing up the Titanium mold maybe 150% larger).

2. Springer - let's get this triple-changer to really rock. I think enlarging the new Generations Voyager figure could work, but they need to use the even bigger size to go tighter with the transformation.

11. Astrotrain - a full-on train alt mode with a lot of transforming extensions to do it, and a great space shuttle mode, interactive with Cyberverse figures perhaps

12. The Fallen - either non-transforming and thus a large scale discounted figure, or a really good alt-mode Cybertronian jet, possibly similar to TM Megatron, but a way better toy than how that one turned out.

13. Shockwave - a tunnel drill alt mode and including the giant snake appendage he commanded. This might have to be an ultra-figure

14. Crankcase - to fight Ironhide LC - or make him the other Dread. I don't care. If it looks great as a robot, it might just sell

I think I covered the ones I could think of that I'd buy...

BAD Pts Need:R5-C7 lf leg (x2), , R4-P44 right leg BAD Pts Offered For Trade: PM me - I have lots of parts now including BG-J38!. New Kyle Katarn is also available.

Crankcase - DOTM - he should never have only been offered at a scale smaller than Ironhide. Even the Crankcase Deluxe figure is out of scale with the previous ROTF Deluxe Scale Ironhide (or he was from some other between-movie line).

Bonecrusher - as he might not get taken for a LC figure. This could really work with a scale next to a Cyberverse Commander or Scout Class (if the size were reinstated) Ironhide or a Voyager Prime

Brawl - ditto my notes on Bonecrusher

Blackout / Grindor - these would be total resculpts, improving the disaster the original figure was with its removeable backpack.

Overload - a Constructicon not yet made (from ROTF) except in the Cyberverse size range. I do admit he could be quite boring though. A flatbed truck? Paint him cool. Make the bot interesting. Make him part of a whole new combining Devastator

Jetfire - they didn't do him this size and it could've been a nice SR-71 figure.

Ultra Magnus - re-release the Titanium, perhaps out of more affordable material.

Rodimus Prime - sure. Why not?

Cyclonus

Scourge

Galvatron

The other Dread (DOTM) - why not? At this scale if the figures are significantly different even if their alt-modes are the same. Remember the twin figures from G1.5? They'd be the same robots but have different alt-modes. These Dreads would be the exact opposite.

BAD Pts Need:R5-C7 lf leg (x2), , R4-P44 right leg BAD Pts Offered For Trade: PM me - I have lots of parts now including BG-J38!. New Kyle Katarn is also available.